The End is Only the Beginning
by KawaiPanda
Summary: Orihime didn't quite know what she wanted out of life, but in a matter of seconds, it wouldn't matter anymore because she was dead. Now, she had to find a life for herself in the soul society. Series "Destined" Book One
1. When it Rains

**A/N: Just randomly started thinking of this idea for a story and here is the first chapter! **

**I do not own Bleach. **

* * *

The End is Only the Beginning

By: KawaiPanda

Chapter One: When it Rains

It was raining.

It had started late into the night before, on and off all night until it finally decided to storm all day. The grey clouds seemed as if they had no intentions of ever letting up. Orihime loved all kinds of weather, rain most of all. Why? Because it meant that there would be a rainbow sometime after the clouds broke up. Also, without rain, nothing would survive. The whole planet would become a desert, dried up and barren. Like Hueco Mundo...

Surprisingly, it was still a bit chilly outside and she chose to wear her grey uniform jacket. With finals and summer right round the corner, her senior year was quickly coming to an end, much to her disappointment. She was going to miss all of her friends as they all were on different paths. Tatsuki was going away to China so she could learn more styles of martial arts. Chad was also going to Mexico to visit family. Uryu was off to college to become a doctor. And Ichigo... well he was going to the Soul Society to become stronger and learn at the Academy there, Rukia with him. And she was just going to be working, staying in Karakura Town. She didn't really have a plan as to what she was going to do for the rest of her life, but she was semi content with life in Karakura.

This morning, she made care to put on her pink rain boots and grab her rainbow colored umbrella that she had put out last night as soon as the rain began, knowing she might be a bit rushed to get to school on time. She had the feeling that her power would go out some time in the night, and it had. However, because she had to wake up so early every morning, her internal alarm woke her up, roughly thirty minutes before classes started.

"Oh no! I'm going to be late!" She cried in alarm when she groggily glanced at the clock on her nightstand. She practically fell out of her bed in her mad dash to get up.

She was grateful she had the insight to shower last night, because she barely had the time to dress for school before she was out the door, running like the hounds of hell were on her heels. She almost forgot to lock the door behind her, but thankfully she remembered at the last minute. She took the steps two at a time, because every second counted, especially when it came to the gate in front of the school. Like clockwork, the gates closed at exactly 8:30 and if you were caught outside, you were screwed.

The rain was poring in thick sheets, the gutters overflowing from the amount of water coming down.

Because of how much water was flooding the streets, she knew better than to run along the roads in which would be the busiest during the day because she would probably get drenched and instead, took to the side streets and alleyways. However, it was this decision to go down an alleyway that was going to change her life.

She wasn't too far from school, not even a hundred feet away, when she came across a box, and in that box were some kittens. By now, the box was soggy and the kittens were soaked to the bone.

"Aww, who would leave you little guys out in the rain like this?" They mewed at her, clambering over one another to get her attention. She leaned down and pet several, but the clock outside of school gave the two minute warning and she looked at them apologetically. "Sorry guys. I have to go to school, but you can have my umbrella." She gingerly placed it inside the box, making sure it wouldn't fall over and it completely covered the kittens from the rain. "I'll be back as soon as I can, ok?"

She jogged away, shivering slightly.

It didn't take long to reach the school grounds, but by then, she was already soaked to the bone, her clothing sticking to her and making her quite uncomfortable. She knew that she would have to either change into her gym uniform or dry out her clothes as soon as possible or else they would become stiff.

She informed her teacher that she would be a few minutes late and rushed to the bathroom, the bell ringing signaling the start of classes. Sighing, she hastily took of her jacket and shirt, ringing them out in the sink. It took a good ten minutes for her to get her clothes somewhat dry enough to wear without them sticking to her skin.

Quickly dawning her clothing, she rushed to class, apologizing as she walked to her desk, ignoring the curious stares from her friends.

XxXxXxXxX

"Why were you late today Orihime?" Tatsuki asked with concern laced in her question.

It was lunch time, and everyone was on the roof, eating their lunch, everyone being Ichigo, Rukia, Tatsuki, Chad, Uryu, Keigo, and Mizurio.

"I got a bit side tracked." Orihime replied apologetically, thinking of the kittens. It had stopped raining a little while ago while in class, and she wanted to check up on them, but she knew she wouldn't be able to until after school was out. After school, she planned on taking them home if no one had found them by then. She knew it was against her lease, but she was pretty sure she would be able to find some people to take the kittens.

"That's fine... but where is your umbrella? You were soaked this morning!" Tatsuki scowled at her.

"Sorry! It's a long story."

"Just remember to bring it next time. We don't need you getting sick."

She nodded and nibbled on her meal. Some red bean paste and bread, one of her most favorite food combos to eat. While she was eating, she noticed the glances and interactions between Rukia and Ichigo, not entirely sure of whether or not she liked sitting with them here, blatantly rubbing their relationship in her face.

Orihime knew from the moment that Rukia came into the picture, that all of her chances with Ichigo had gone out of the window. It might have been four years since Rukia appeared in their lives, but it wasn't until this past month that they told everyone they had been dating. So, it still hurt, especially since Rukia knew from the get go about her feelings for Ichigo.

She was glad though that Rukia was here, because she wouldn't be friends with so many diverse people. She wouldn't know half of the things she does now, either. About the Shinigami and Hollows, etc. She even had powers because of her interactions with Rukia and Ichigo. Her Shun Shun Rikka abilities. Her powers were so unique that she was kidnapped because of them. She had the ability to "reject" events, and such, basically turning back time, and keeping them from occurring.

She had many friends in the Soul Society as well, Rangiku, Yachiru, Toshiro, and many others. She was very thankful for them all. But for her, it seemed as if she had more in common with the dead then the living and she didn't know if that was something that could be considered "good."Orihime felt so out of place in the living world sometimes, but she never voiced this with the others. She didn't want them to think she was depressed or something. No. It just wouldn't due at all to have them worry so much about her. After all, she wasn't suicidal or anything.

Noticing she was finished eating and there was probably only a minute or two before the bell was to ring, Orihime stood and walked back to class, knowing the others wouldn't miss her.

Not really.

XxXxXxXxX

School seemed to drone on forever after lunch for Orihime, and she found herself constantly fazing out as she stared outside. And when it was over, she noticed it was raining again. She sighed and was about to leave the school building when Tatsuki came running.

"Orihime!"

"Yes?" She turned to her best friend, who tried to thrust an umbrella into her hands.

"Here, take my umbrella. You really need one." Orihime blinked in surprise.

"No, no. You keep it. I'll be fine." She shook her head at her, and handed it back.

"But-"

"Besides, you'll need it for after you club. I promise to go right home and get out of my wet clothes." Tatsuki sighed, resigned to her fate of being friends with someone who would risk her own health for others.

"Okay, but you have to go straight home." Orihime smiled.

"I will."

"Okay. I might come by later so we can work on our homework together." She nodded.

"Alright. See you later!"Orihime waved her away and left the school building in a dash, heading back to where the kittens should be. It didn't take long for her to find them again, glad she had left her umbrella behind for them. Their box wasn't as soggy now, and when they spotted her, the kittens mewled even louder then when she first found them.

"Hey there little ones! I hope you didn't think I was going to forget about you!" She smiled happily at them, picking up the box of kittens and umbrella. She made care to keep them covered as she began the long trek home. And it was on this trek that she made a mistake of keeping to the alleyways. She knew that traffic would be heavy with people heading home from work and school and such, and wanted to stick to less traveled roads in order to keep from being splashed by a car or bus.

Not even three blocks away from her home, Orihime ran into some trouble.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" There was a couple of guys her own age leaning against the wall, as if they were in wait for her the whole time.

"I think we gots us a play thing for us to enjoy boss." The shorter of the two stated, get a bit close for comfort for Orihime.

"I agree. Would you like to play with us?" The other one crossed his arms, leering at her.

Orihime shook her head, eyes wide. She clutched the box tight to her chest, the umbrella dropping to the ground without another thought to it. "Please leave me alone. I'm trying to get home."

"Sorry, but there's a hefty toll you gotta pay for walking down this alley." The kittens once again mewled, though this time in protest to the onslaught of rain beating down on both them and Orihime.

"Leave me alone. I'm warning you." They just smirked, and moved in closer.

"Tsubaki, I reject!" She out cried in panic. The fairie with a temper to make up for his size, was released and shot out, attacking without hesitation. The one directly in front of her fell over, his body cut in half by her power, while the other one freaked out.

"What the hell?" Her eyes widened and she took off, running right into the oncoming traffic.

The blaring horn of a car a few feet away caused Orihime to glance at it, though time seemed to slow down as the vehicle rushed towards her, the screech of it's breaks echoing loudly in her ears.

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**A/N: Who do you think Orihime should end up with?**

** Helpful critique is welcome! **


	2. It Pores

**A/N: Sorry if the chapter is a bit all over the place. And sorry for taking so long to update, my computer is being a pain in the rear lol. **

**Special thanks to Mailumia, Castle Anthrax and KurosakiCrystal18 for reviewing! **

**I do not own Bleach. **

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The End is Only the Beginning

By: KawaiPanda

Chapter Two: It Pores

_The blaring horn of a car a few feet away caused Orihime to glance at it, though time seemed to slow down as the vehicle rushed towards her, the screech of it's breaks echoing loudly in her ears._

When the car struck Orihime, she didn't really feel it. Rather, the moment before the vehicle hit her, her soul had already left her body to keep her from feeling the pain of dying and the car went through her, crashing into the now shell that was her corpse.

She blinked, startled. For Orihime, what had just occurred unreal, and time seemed to stand still.

Her soul was now outside of her body, similar to how it was when she would visit the soul society, only this time, she was dead and there was no way she would be able to re-enter her body. She was a bit saddened from the knowledge of her fate, and bit her lip. The world around her seemed to become a blur, time speeding up without her really noticing what was going on. In seconds for her, her body was carted off by an ambulance, spectators watching in interest because death wasn't something that was normal here in Karakura town. The police even took the kittens to the vet and most likely later they would be taken to the pound to be adopted or put down if no one spoke up for them.

Orihime didn't really notice these things happening though. By the time reality caught up to her, she was standing in her dark apartment, looking at the shrine she had for her brother.

At least, she might be able to be reunited with him.

She wondered though, when would her friends notice. Would they realize that she was the girl on the news, who died from the car accident. Would they try to find her, not the shell of a corpse, but her, the soul. After all, they did have the ability to see hollows, shinigami, and souls alike. Actually, a lot of people in town did, but they wouldn't think of it as something weird if it was a soul that had recently died unless they knew the individual.

The orange haired beauty touched the picture in the frame that was of her deceased brother, Sora.

A thought formed in her mind.

In hauntings, the dead could sometimes become solid, and she wondered. She wondered if she could take the picture with her. And because her love for the man who raised her was so strong, she was able to feel the metal of the frame touching her fingers. Quickly, she took care to fold the image and place it in her breast pocket, next to her heart. Maybe, she would be able to find her brother in the afterlife with the help of the picture. She didn't want to forget him.

"Miss." A voice from behind her was a bit startling. Slowly, she turned to look behind her and smiled. He was dressed in a soul reaper uniform and she found some happiness in the fact that she was going to be guided to her fate by someone relatively familiar. She didn't know his name, but she knew she was safe with him and by leaving soon, her soul wouldn't bring hollows to terrorize the town.

"Hello."

"I am here to escort you." There was a senkaimon* already opened up behind him. (*It's a gateway that can be used to travel between the soul society and the human world.)

"I know. I'm ready." She didn't have time to regret. He seemed a bit surprised by her response, but nonetheless moved to stand before her, holding his hand out to her. She hesitantly placed her hand in his, and he led her through the open doors.

* * *

She was a bit scared. After the soul reaper had escorted her into the soul society, he left her to fend for herself, though not without telling her which district she now resided in.

District 3 North Rukongai. Surprisingly high for many, but because of the fact that in everyday life, Orihime was as selfless as they came, she was rewarded. And according to the Afro haired soul reaper who'd escorted her here, she was one of the lucky ones. She would be able to live nicely here.

She was a rare commodity too, because as soon as she was seen, everyone knew she had just recently were stares and whispers but she bravely ignored those who seemed a bit... uptight. Within an hour of being in this district, she felt so out of place, and sough solstice in a restaurant. She was a bit famished after all.

"Table for one miss?" The man at the door asked.

"Yes please."

"Right this way." The nice restaurant was so fancy, and she was a bit afraid of going inside because she wasn't as fancy as everyone in the district seemed to be, but all of the other places to eat here were just as nice looking and she had no other choice but to go inside one.

"What would you like to drink?" He asked her as she sat down and looked over the menu.

"Iced tea, please." He nodded headed away to get her her drink. Within moments he reappeared with her tea and placed it in front of her.

"What would you like to eat ma'am?"

"Can I have nikuman* with a side of red bean paste?" (*nikuman are like sandwiches with meat and vegetables wrapped inside dough.)

"Certainly ma'am."

The thought of eating caused her stomach to growl slightly. She was so hungry. After all, she hadn't eaten at all since she had gotten in the soul society and it was a few hours ago. When the waiter reappeared thirty minutes later, her tea was almost gone and the rolls that had been in a basket in the middle of the table were gone too. He smirked and took her glass, placing the steaming hot food in front of her.

Almost immediately she dug in, the food tasting better than ever with the paste added on top.

And when she was done with her meal, and the waiter came over with the bill, Orihime almost fainted. The price of her meal was outrageous... and she didn't even have money either! She didn't stop to think of that. She did have the few possessions she had on her when she died, but not any money and besides, according to what the shinigami told her, they didn't use the same kind of currency as the human world. They used Kan, it was similar to the money used in her home town, but different.

She slowly walked to the waiter and was thinking of how she was going to explain the situation when someone called her name.

"Orihime?" The voice seemed familiar, but not one she had heard in such a long time. It belonged to Rurichiyo Kasumioji, the young blond girl who had come to Karakura town a few years ago that they had helped. "Orihime, is that you? What are you doing here?"

"I-I was hungry." She blushed, not noticing the girl's frown.

"I meant in the Soul Society." Orihime looked away.

"Oh. Well... you see, I died."

"When?"

"Today."

"Seriously...?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry. Do you have a place to stay?" Orihime shook her head. "Well, you do now. Come with me?"

"R-really?"

"Yes, I'm not going to let one of my friends sleep outside. And since you just got here, I'm assuming you don't have anyone here to help you out." Again Orihime shook her head. "Well, I'm going to take care of you, after all, without you and everyone back in Karakura town, I would have been a goner."

"Thank you so much." Orihime bowed to the younger girl. She had no idea what she would have done without this girls help. After all, she was unable to enter the Seireitei without a soul reaper, and she wouldn't be able to get help from anyone there since they probably didn't know she was here.

"It's no problem. I'm also guessing you have no money, so I'll pay for your meal." Rurichiyo payed the man and led Orihime out of the restaurant towards her home.

Rurichiyo lived in the Seireitei, and since Orihime didn't have a pass, the blond was forced to used her family seal in order for her to pass through. When they reached the Kasumioji family compound, Orihime was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the complex. Several maids greeted them, as well as another familiar face.

Ryusei Kenzaki.

"Lady Rurichiyo." He didn't seem to notice Orihime for a few minutes as Rurichiyo bickered with him over his calling her Lady. When he finally did, his expression was almost comical. "Ori-Orihime?"

She nodded.

He blinked in confusion. "Are you here for a visit?"

"Dummy, she died." Rurichiyo told him bluntly, saving Orihime from saying it.

"Oh, you did... I'm sorry." He said with a blush. The girls were led to a sitting room with tea, Ryusei standing closer to Rurichiyo than Orihime.

"It's fine. I'm still getting used to it. I just wish I could have said goodbye to my friends, but I know this is for the best. After all, if it wasn't meant to be, it wouldn't have happened."

"So... how did you die anyway?" The blond girl asked.

"I was hit by a car."

"Ouch." The younger girl winced, imagining the pain.

"Well, I didn't feel any pain, which is nice."

"Ah... Well, in any case, I have decided that since you treated me so nicely, I'm thinking of adopting you into the Kasumioji clan. What do you think?"

"Mi-milady!" The man who'd dedicated his life to the blond was startled.

"Huh?" Orihime scratched her head, a bit confused.

"It's the least I can do. I mean, after all, you did help me out so much."

"Do you mean adopted like Rukia was by her family?"

"Yes."

"Oh." She bit her bottom lip. She wasn't sure if she was sure she wanted to be 'adopted' into a family, but Rurichiyo was her friend and she had to trust her is she was going to survive in the Soul Society.

"What do you think?"

"I-I would be honored." Orihime accepted graciously.

"But Milady!" Ryusei cried out.

"But what?"

"What about the elders?"

"I don't give a hoot what the think, and I am going to be the matriarch soon. It's just a matter of formalities." The blond smiled. "So it's settled then. You are going to be known as Orihime Kasumioji. We'll have the ceremony as soon as possible."

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**A/N: So,w****hat do you guys think of Orihime being adopted?**** Sorry if any of the characters were out of character. I hope it doesn't seem rushed. **

** Helpful critique is always welcome!**


	3. Heartbreak, Moving on

**A/N: Sorry if the chapter is a bit all over the place. And sorry for taking so long to update, my computer is being a pain in the rear lol. **

**Thanks so much for everyone that reviewed! I really appreciate them! Keeps me motivated to write faster. **

**On another note, I would like to dedicate this chapter to two people, KurosakiCrystal18 and nypsy for giving me some great feedback and ideas! **

**I do not own Bleach. **

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The End is Only the Beginning

By: KawaiPanda

Chapter Three: Heartbreak, Moving on

_Meanwhile, In Karakura Town_

The day had started out like any other old day for Tatsuki Arisawa.

She woke up at four am and proceeded to change into some jogging pants and a wife beater so she could go jogging around the block a couple of times to warm up and force any remaining sleepiness out of her eyes. It was cold outside, and it was still dark but from doing this every morning for the last couple of years it didn't keep her from her morning regiment.

After her warm up, she headed back inside, and played some music, not too loud so she wouldn't disturb her neighbors, and began to go through the motions of various karate moves.

When it was six am, Tatsuki was finished with her morning regiment and took a lengthy shower, taking care to wash her hair and scrub her body thoroughly to get rid of the smell of sweat. An hour later, she was blowdrying her hair. She didn't want to risk going outside with wet hair and getting a cold from it.

When it was nearing seven-thirty, she was out the door and headed to school.

Upon arriving at the school, the grounds were deathly silent. The students that were lingering outside trying to hold off from going into the building for as long as possible, upon seeing her, started whispering among themselves.

Her eye twitched in annoyance as as she walked inside, and the treatment continued. She was grateful to have reached the classroom and take her seat because she didn't want to start out the day by getting detention from kicking someones ass. But the day could have only went south from there. As soon as the teacher walked in, upon seeing her ashen face, Tatsuki was getting worried.

"Class, as I'm sure most of you know, Miss Inoue was in the hospital last night, but we've received word that she passed away before she got there." The words seemed to fall on deaf ears for Tatsuki. She couldn't seem to comprehend Orihime and dying being in the same sentence. "We'll be having a memorial for her here at the school tomorrow, and anyone who may need to talk to a counselor is free to do so."

It wasn't real.

It had to be a joke... wasn't it?

There was no way, no way at all she could be dead.

Tatsuki's breath caught in her throat, and she felt like she was about to have a panic attack. She jumped up suddenly, running for the door. She saw a flash of orange, Ichigo, but ran for the roof. She needed air. Fresh air to breath.

Her name sprung forth from his mouth and some other friends of hers, but she didn't stop until she was out the door, falling to her knees, trying to force breath into her lungs.

"Arisawa? What's going on? Are you ok?"She ignored Ichigo and Rukia, clutching at her knees, rocking back and forth.

"Dead? No, she can't be dead." Tatsuki shook her head. "Not her."

"Dead? What are you talking about?" The orange haired shinigami asked, confused.

"No. No. No. No. No. Not her! She can't do this to me!"

"Ari-" Suddenly she snapped. She couldn't handle the pain, the sadness, but she sure as hell could deal with anger.

"You! It was your fault!" She rounded on him, startling him into nearly backing up into Rukia. "Both of you! You did this!"

"Did what Tatsuki? I don't understand? Is everything alright?" Rukia inquired.

"No everything is NOT alright! She's dead! Orihime is DEAD! My best friend... she's gone because you two had to flaunt your fucking relationship in front of her everyday! You caused her to die! Just being around you two made her so miserable, but she tried so hard to make it seem like everything was ok when it wasn't. You didn't even have the right to call her your friend Rukia. You took Ichigo away from her when you know abut her feelings. And Ichigo you had your head so stuck up your own ass that you never realized that she loved you more than anything. She always had. She lived for you!"

"Tats-" Rukia had moved to try and console Tatsuki, but she was having none of it.

SMACK!

The sound of Tatsuki's hand striking Rukia's face echoed so loudly, that it seemed to go on forever.

"I hate you. She died and her last days were filled with sadness because you came into our lives. I don't want to see either of you again." She said evenly, looking them both in the eyes before walking away.

Sometime during the rant, the others, Uryu, Chad, Keigo, and Mizuiri had showed up, witnessing how much Tatsuki didn't know. And she didn't care either. All she knew was that she didn't even get to say good-bye to Orihime.

* * *

_In the Soul Society, _

_"I don't give a hoot what the think, and I am going to be the matriarch soon. It's just a matter of formalities." The blond smiled. "So it's settled then. You are going to be known as Orihime Kasumioji. We'll have the ceremony as soon as possible."_

Orihime Kasumioji.

After the ceremony, she would no longer hold onto the Inoue name. Rather, she would be known as Kasumioji.

As she stared into the mirror, the orange haired beauty frowned.

As grateful as she was to Rurichiyo, she wasn't so sure she was ready to be adopted. After all, for almost eighteen years she was Orihime Inoue. She felt like maybe she was being disrespectful to her brother. He saved her from their parents. He raised her up until his death and even became a hollow because he stuck around after death to watch over her.

She glanced at the picture of Sora she had taken with her into the afterlife where it was framed on the vanity.

Orihime couldn't help but wonder if she would ever see him again. She knew he would be here somewhere, but she also knew it was virtually impossible for people to find their family members because the soul society was so large.

"Orihime-sama?"

She looked at the door and noticed Ryusei standing in the door way.

"Yes?"

"It's time." She took a deep breath.

"Alright."

She nodded and stood from where she sat in front of the vanity. It may have been only yesterday, but already Orihime had everything a princess could ask for. She had a bedroom that was larger than her apartment in the living world, several closets full of clothing from traditional kimono to modern causal wear. And it all fit her perfectly! Though, because of the family's status, they had a tailor on staff.

In one corner of the room was a king sized bed with a sheer canopy that closed for some privacy.

She also had her own bathroom, which was connected to the room.

Because of the fact that Rurichiyo wanted to make sure the elders didn't have enough time to come up with a way to keep Orihime from being adopted, the blond girl made sure to have the ceremony as soon as possible, and because she was able to pull some strings, Orihime was being adopted today.

She was instructed to wear one of the more formal kimono's, and to do her hair up in a nice style. After all, she was going to be representing the Kasumioji's in only a matter of time.

Orihime wore a pure white kimono, with blood red cherry blossoms near the bottom, as well as the sleeves. She also wore the same shade of red obi around her waist. Her hairpins were also placed in her hair to keep her bangs from falling into her face. She'd had some help with her hair. A maid had helped her do it up in an elaborate bunch of loops and twists.

"Ready to face the sharks?" Ryusei asked when she reached his side. Together they walked to her destination. He did have some objections yesterday, but he was fully behind his mistresses decision. Rurichiyo knew what she was doing. She might be young, but she was older than she looked and grew up playing the game.

"As much as I'll ever be." He smiled at her, and touched her shoulder in a reassuring way.

"You'll do fine Orihime-sama."

"Thanks."

She took a deep breath and walked towards the door, the guards pulling it open for her. At the sound of the heavy doors opening, everyone inside stood save for Rurichiyo and her fiance Shu. The couple were sitting in their tall thrones in the front of the isle, dressed like the royalty they were. Orihime took small, even steps towards them, and knelt down upon reaching them.

"Orihime Inoue, do you promise to uphold this families honor and protect it with your life?" Rurichiyo's voice was even and unwavering as she stared down at Orihime.

"Yes."

"You hereby give up the name of Inoue for the honor of becoming a Kasumioji Princess?"

"Yes."

"From this day forth you are no longer Orihime Inoue. You are now Orihime Kasumioji, Princess of the Kasumioji clan. Rise." Orihime did as she was told.

After that, they were finished, and during a party Rurichiyo felt like throwing for her, Orihime got to meet a lot of the men and women elders, that helped advise the blond girl. And she could tell that many of them were 'Shark-like' in nature. She stuck out like a sore thumb too, being the only one in the bunch with orange hair and much more gentle natured than any of them.

It scared her a bit to know that some of these people would try to overthrow Rurichiyo if they got the chance, but she also knew it was the way power worked. After finally finding some time to sit and eat her food, maybe even relax a bit, Rurichiyo started up a conversation with her.

"Hey Orihime?"

"Yes?" She took care to not talk with her mouth full of food.

"I was wondering, have you thought about becoming a soul reaper?"

"N-not really."

"I think it would be a good idea if you thought about it."

"O-okay..."

"I just remembered that even as a human you had a lot of spiritual energy and you'd probably go far if you wanted to become a soul reaper." Orihime nodded, though she didn't think she was the Soul reaper type. She voiced this and Rurichiyo nodded. "Well, it was just food for though. And besides, if you did become one, you will be able to see your friends more often."

It was true. She did have a lot of soul reaper friends that she missed. And Soul reapers did go to earth often, she would be able to see Tatsuki and the others!

"I'm also a bit worried that in order to punish you, the elders might try to use your becoming a Kasumioji as a bargaining chip and force you to marry someone."

"T-they would do that?" At the blonds nod, Orihime gulped. She didn't know if she could marry someone she didn't love.

"As a soul reaper, they would have less control over you."

"I'll think about it."

"Do so. I don't want to worry you, but with these people, you have to be on your toes." Orihime was a goldfish in a tank full of sharks! Defenseless.

"Right."

"Well, I'm going to go dance with Shu. I'll talk to you later." The blond flitted away to her fiance, leaving the orange hair girl to contemplate.

"O-okay." Suddenly the thought of eating wasn't so appealing anymore.

* * *

**A/N: So how did you like Tatsuki's outburst? and the ceremony? and what about her going to the soul reaper academy? **

** Helpful critique is always welcome!**


	4. First Day at the Academy: Part One

**A/N: here's the fourth chapter! sorry it's taken some time to put this chapter up! **

**I do not own Bleach. **

* * *

The End is Only the Beginning

By: KawaiPanda

Chapter Four: First Day at the Academy  
Part One

_"I was wondering, have you thought about becoming a soul reaper?"_

_"N-not really."_

_"I think it would be a good idea if you thought about it."_

_"O-okay..."_

_"I just remembered that even as a human you had a lot of spiritual energy and you'd probably go far if you wanted to become a soul reaper." Orihime nodded, though she didn't think she was the Soul reaper type. She voiced this and Rurichiyo nodded. "Well, it was just food for though. And besides, if you did become one, you will be able to see your friends more often."_

_It was true. She did have a lot of soul reaper friends that she missed. And Soul reapers did go to earth often, she would be able to see Tatsuki and the others!_

It had been a whole two weeks since Orihime had been asked if she wanted to become a soul reaper. And because she didn't want to jump straight into it, she took the time to think it over. Though, from the constant inquiries from Rurichiyo and Ryusei, she had been by the academy, learning that the entrance exam was coming up and the requirements to get in. She'd even got to tour the facility, seeing the classrooms and such, though she suspected that the nice treatment was because she was the adopted sister of Rurichiyo.

The man who showed her around was one of the various teachers, though he taught senior students. He was very polite, and smiled a lot when she asked questions.

She gave it a lot of thought. And she was leaning towards attending. She knew she would have to stay on the academy grounds, but it was no problem for her. After all, she'd lived in a small apartment in the world of the living, and was not used to having such a large room all to herself. In fact, she was having touble sleeping in her bedroom at the Kasumioji estates. And a smaller room would be nice for a change.

She was just afraid she would get differential treatment while in attendance at the academy. She also didn't want anyone to know of her past involvement with the soul society. They would expect way too much from her. After all, her powers were nothing like those of a shinigami's and to have them hold her to such high expectations... well, it wasn't fair. After all, she had been more a nuisence while she was alive anyway. She was virtually useless, all she could do was heal really.

Orihime shook her head, trying to shake the depressing thoughts out of her head. She needed to have positive thoughts today. After all, it was the day for the exam to get into the academy.

She had woken up early to make sure to have a large breakfast, here lately she was eating more and more... more than she thought she could ever consume in an entire seating. And what's even weirder was the fact that she wasn't gaining any weight from it either. Surely she would have gained at least fifteen pounds by now had she still been alive and consuming this much food. She frowned down at her plate of eggs, sasauge, and red bean paste. It was her third plate this morning. Sighing, she finished off plate of food and placed her plates into the sink.

"I wish you luck Orihime." Rurichiyo said from behind Orihime. Startled, she almost dropped the plates into the sink, and whirled around.

"R-Rurichiyo-sama." She smiled at the young girl. "Thank you. I probably need it."

Rurichiyo waved her doubt off. "From what I've seen in the human world of your abilities, I have the utmost confidence in you. Besides, from what Kenryu has told me of his time at the academy and the exam, I know you'll pass with flying colors."

Orihime blushed at the compliment. "Thank you Rurichiyo-sama."

"No problem. Now, you better get going. The exams will start soon, and I'm sure you don't want to be late, am I correct?"

"Right! I'll see you later!" Orihime called as she dashed out of the room and headed for her destination.

From what the man had said, it would take a total of at least six hours to take the entire exam. The first part would be a written exam, after that, there would be a test on kidou to see if those who made it that far could do a simple spell. And after that, there would be a physical. And if they passed all of those things, they would be able to attend the academy. Though, even once someone passed the exam, it could be a matter of years before they graduated. The average time it took was six years, and for prodigies, two years or less.

She knew from Ryusei that some students were offered positions among the Gotei Thirteen or even the Kidou Corp. before graduation should they be skilled enough and capture the attention of a squad.

By the time she reached the academy, she had only five minutes to spare. She sighed in relief and moved to get in line before someone called her name.

"Kasumioji-sama!" She blinked for a minute before realizing the person was calling her.

"Yes?"

"Come with me please?" The woman was a bit out of breath when she reached Orihime. Her red hair was a bit messy, but she just brushed it back behind her shoulders and held out a hand to Orihime. She took it hesitantly, and they shook hands briefly.

"O-okay." The woman led her down the hall, away from everyone else and they were a good distance away from the exam room before the woman started talking.

"Miss Kasumioji, no need to worry about the exam. Ever since your tour last week, our senior instructor Nao has been raving about you."

"What do you mean?" Orihime was confused. She had taken a tour last week with that man, and he had led her around, though she didn't do anything out of the ordinary.

"Your spiritual pressure Miss. It is so exceptionally high!" Her green eyes were shinning in excitement.

"I don't understand." She knew what spiritual pressure was, after all, she wasn't stupid, but she hadn't noticed having any of her own before.

"Can you not see the discomfort you bring to others?" When she had arrived at the exam, most, if not all of those still waiting to go into the classroom grimaced, and one had outright fainted when she appoached. She nodded carefully. "Well, your spiritual pressure was so high that you can immediately start classes."

"But shouldn't I have to take the exam?" The woamn shook her head.

"No. The written part is just a personality exam really. Then the kidou wpuld be to see how much spiritual pressure you can manifest, and a regular physical to see if you can keep up with training. You, Miss Kasumioji, have so much spiritual pressure that I'm even sweating to raise my own up to keep from buckling." Orihime's eyes widdend.

"R-really? I'm so sorry! Is there anything I can do to lower it?"

"Well, I've heard that one way is just thinking about it will lower it, and by thinking about it, I mean you have to want it to be low." Orihime nodded in understanding and took a deep breath, willing her pressence to be like that of a butterly. Very unnoticeable. "Thank you."

"It worked?"

She nodded in relief. "Anyway, Nao-sama has spoken to several of the staff here, as well as the Head Captain of the Gotei Thirteen and they have decided that you will be accepted into the academy immediately."

Orihime was breathless. She honestly didn't know what to say or think. "O-okay."

The room they came to stand in front of was open, and Orihime's companion walked inside, beckoning her to follow her inside. There was a package on top of the desk, as well as several papers.

"This here holds your uniforms, and these papers are your schedules and such. One paper has your room number on it, as well as the key to it as well taped on." She sat down behind the desk, grinning at the orangette. "Since classes start tomorrow, you may start moving in as soon as possible, though I think Lady Rurichiyo has already taken it upon herself to have many of your things sent over."

Orihime blinked. "W-what?"

"We've already contacted your family with our decision to let you attend."

The blond knew! all along she knew that orihime was going to get in. "Oh... thank you."

"There is also a map among those papers, so you should be able to find your way around soon enough."

"Thank you, miss..." Orihime hadn't gotten her name.

"Right, I'm June, June Saito. Should you ever find yourself in trouble, or need help with anything, just come find me." Orihime nodded, before picking up the heavy package.

"Thank you Miss Saito."

"By! See you in class Miss Kasumioji."

Orihime wandered around a bit before she realized she had no idea where the dorms were, and set the box down, searching through the pile of papers for the map. When she found it, she saw that she wasn't too far away and headed off in the right direction. Upon seeing the building, she smiled in relief. The freshman dorms were co-ed, though the girls lived on the upper floors, and the guys the lower. After pressing the up button to the elevator, she glanced at her room number. Room 701. When the doors opened in front of her, she hasitily stepped into the metal box, and pressed the seven button.

The way up seemed to take forever... but when she finally got to the top, she sighed in relief. She didn't like elevators. She practically ran out of the thing when the entrance was wide enough to accomidate both her and the box. Her room was right in front of the elevator too, and she was glad. Pulling the key off of the paper, she stuck it into the keyhole hesitantly, turning the knob slowly.

This whole thing seemed unreal. After all, she was sure no one else had be able to get into the academy so easily, but she wasn't going to look a gifted horse in the mouth.

XxXxXxXxX

When Orihime woke up the following morning, she was a bit disoriented.

Yesterday she woke up in her room at the Kasumioji manor, and today she was in a new room. But, upon seeing her things, she realized she was safe. And after sleep finally left her eyes, she remembered yesterday.

She'd been accepted into the academy. And last night, she stayed here.

Today was the first day of classes, and that meant wearing one of the uniforms that were hanging up in her closet. This new room of hers was nice, not as big as it had been at the Kasumioji manor, and for that she was grateful.

Taking a moment to stretch the rest of the lingering effects of sleep out of her, she pulled on her uniform, and brushed her hair into a messy bun, using her hairpins to keep it in place.

When her stomach grumbled, reminding her that she needed to eat, she glanced at the clock to see what time it was.

It was just after nine.

Since today was the first day of class, it didn't start until ten, which she got from her schedule for today. It gave her plenty of time to make it to the cafeteria and eat something.

She made sure to pocket her key, and her money that Rurichiyo had left for her before locking up the room behind her. She briefly remembered to control her spiritual pressure and walked into the elevator. Nao-sama had shown her that on her tour and she kind of remembered where it was located. Though, she could just follow some of the other students, because surely they would be heading there as well.

When the elevator stopped briefly on two floors down, Orihime smiled at the two girls who walked on. They returned it in kind and introduced themselves.

"Hi! I'm Kaiya, and this is Hanna, my roommate." Both were blonds, but the more enthousiastic girl had shorter hair in a cute bob, while the other girl wore hers in a pony tail at the base of her neck.

"I'm Orihime." Maybe she would make some friends here after all.

"You must have been like us and gotten up late, eh?"

"Late?"

"Well, classes don't start until ten today but when we woke up, it was a ghost town this morning on our floor." Kaiya said, shock laced in her voice. "Seriously! There was no lines at either of the bathrooms on our floor."

"Weren't, Kaiya. Weren't any lines..." Hanna spoke evenly, correcting the other girls grammer.

Kaiya waved it off. "I guess the other students wanted to check out the competition early." The elevator stopped at another floor as she said that, and a guy walked in, breathing heavily, a frown on his face.

"H-hello." Orihime felt complied to say, greeting him.

"Hey." He didn't say much, and ignored the girls entirely. Feeling the awkward atmosphere, no one said anything.

When they reached the ground floor, the brunette guy took off as soon as the doors were wide enough, and the girls headed in same direction at a slower pace.

"Well, he's a big talker." Kaiya said, when he was out of hearing distance.

"Maybe he woke up on the wrong side of the bed?" Orihime said, already feeling at ease with these two girls.

"Maybe." Hanna pipped in.

It didn't take long at all for the three of them to reach the cafeteria, and they went through the line, grabbing plates of food from the buffet styled breakfast lines.

Once they took seats at an empty table, the interrogation began.

"So, which district are you from?" Kaiya asked, her mouth full of food.

"District?"

"Where you live." Hanna supplied.

"Yeah, Hanna and I are from the ninth district."

"Oh! Um... I'm not from the districts... I think."

"What do you mean? You have to be from a district silly."

"Well I kind of live in the Seireitei."

"Really?" Kaiya asked quite loudly, capturing a lot of attention from fellow students. Orihime held up her hands, blushing.

"Y-yeah."

"Sounds nice." Hanna said easily.

"I guess." She said, scratching the back of her head. They went quiet for a minute and Orihime took the oportunity to fill up her empty stomach. By the time they had finished eating, there was a lot of commotion among all of the students in the cafeteria as the Head Master walked in. It was June! Orihime gulped down her glass of milk and stared at the woman in surprise.

June seemed to notice Orihime's surprise and waved at her, before addressing the entire student body.

"Hello! I'm June Saito, Head Mistess of the Shino Academy, and I would like to congraduulate you all for being accepted into the academy. First and foremost, I wish you all luck in becoming the best you can be, as well as excelling in your studies." She had an easy smile on her face. "I know this journey will not be an easy one. You all have so much to learn. And some of you may fail or even die in the process of becoming shinigami. But that should not deter you from this path you have chosen. As a shinigami, you will face many dangers, because while your primary objective is to send the dead to the afterlife, you will have to face hollows, or worse."

She looked a bit saddened, but continued her speech. "And for those of you who survive and thrive, you will be placed in either the Gotei Thirteen, Kidou Corp, or the Onmitsukido, depending upon what your skills lie in. Again, I wish you all the best of luck, because you will need it."

She turned and walked out of the cafeteria.

Everyone errupted into chatter.

"Wow! Nice speech huh, Hanna?" Kaiya said, grinning.

"Very nice."

"Well, it seems a bit... sad that some may die." Orihime said, frowning. She didn't like the prospect of some of her friends parishing trying to become a soul reaper. But then... people died all of the time. After all, she did once.

"Not may, will. There are always casualties." Hanna informed her.

"Anyways, lets get to class! We don't wanna be late, or forced to sit up front do we?" They had about fifteen minutes left to be on time. Kaiya stood and waited on the others to do so as well.

When they had all dumped their plates, they headed to the classrooms.

* * *

**A/N: So, what do you think of her getting into the academy? And her first day there? **

**Special thanks to VitaeCursus, KurosakiCrystal18, Marianne3013, Mailumia, and Nypsy! :) **

** Any feedback is welcome! :)**


	5. First Day at the Academy: Part Two

**A/N: here's the second part of the previous chapter! **

**I do not own Bleach. **

* * *

The End is Only the Beginning

By: KawaiPanda

Chapter Five: First Day at the Academy  
Part Two

_"Anyways, lets get to class! We don't wanna be late, or forced to sit up front do we?" They had about fifteen minutes left to be on time. Kaiya stood and waited on the others to do so as well._

_When they had all dumped their plates, they headed to the classrooms._

Luckily, Orihime was in class with both Kaiya and Hanna. The three girls sat together in the middle section of the room, not exactly in the front row of desks, but close enough that they wouldn't fall asleep or anything during lectures. There weren't many people in the classroom until just minutes before it was time for the class to begin. Shockingly enough it was very full when the last of the students wandered in.

As soon as the clock struck ten, the instructor stood from his seat behind his desk and walked towards the students.

"Good morning class. My name is Daichi Tanaka." He folded his arms, and looked around the room at all of the students. "I will be teaching on the history of the soul society. Tomorrow, I will have everyones books ready, today however we will be introducing ourselves, and getting to everyone a little. I've already told you all my name, so I'll tell you something about myself. I have been teaching this class for the last one hundred years. Now, we'll start on the left section." He said, pointing at a boy about Orihime's age, looks wise. "Before it's your turn, think of what you would like to say."

It took a good thirty minutes before the middle section was reached. When it reached the girls, Orihime listened to her friends as they introduced themselves.

"Hi! I'm Kaiya Minami, and something about me would be..." She frowned, thinking quickly. Some people said which district they were from, some how old they were, and many other things. "... I was born into the soul society."

Orihime was a bit startled. She had never really heard of that happening before. After all, this was the land of the dead, hence the name 'Soul Society' but apparently souls could have children. For a minute she wondered if she knew anyone else who had been born here, but then it was Hanna's turn to introduce herself.

"Hanna Umari. I am the daughter of Kazuo Umari, a soul reaper of the Gotei Thirteen, eleventh devision." She said in her seemingly normal monotone voice.

Then it was Orihime's turn. When people turned to look at the orangette, she froze, blushing. The thought of what she wanted to say was erased from her thoughts as soon as she opened her mouth.

"Orihime In- I mean, Kasumioji. My name is Orihime Kasumioji. A-and..." She bit her lip, thoughts racing as she tried to grasp something, something she could tell them. She refused to tell everyone about her past experience with the Soul society while she was human. "... and I... I like red bean paste!"

The whole class burst out laughing at her outburst, flaring up her embarassment. But, at least her secrets would be safe for now. The teacher quieted the students down and resumed the introductions. When everyone had spoken, the teacher glanced at the clock. It was exactly noon.

"Alright class, you are dismissed. Don't forget that you will be getting your books tomorrow." Everyone stood and walked out, Orihime and her new friends near the end of the procession.

"Well, that was fun!" Kaiya said, as they waited their turn to file out.

"Oh, I feel so stupid." Orihime cried, because her outburst was so embarassing to her. And then the response it got...

"Orihime?" Kaiya asked, a quizical look on her face.

"There is no need to feel as such. Your statemnt was your own, and unique. No one can judge you." Hanna said.

"Thank you Hanna." Orihime said, hugging the girl. Hanna blushed, but didn't move out of the embrace. Right then, some people decided to push past the three girls, bumping into Orihime and Hanna, nearly knocking the two onto the ground.

"Watch it." A guy glared at them. He was very large and imposing.

"Um, excuse you! You bumped into them!" Kaiya declaired, pointing at him. His friends snickered at her outburst, and she colored red in anger.

"Tch. Just stay out of the way little girl."

"Why you!" Kaiya looked like she was going to take a swing at him when Hanna placed her hand on the girls shoulder.

"Calm yourself. He is not worth the minimal effort it would take to knock him on his ass." She said, sneering. His face flushed in embarrassment and he opened his mouth like he was going to say say something in response when he shut his mouth and stalked off.

"Is everything okay ladies?" Came the voice of their instructor, concern laced in his voice.

"Yes, Tanaka-sensei." Orihime said, not wanting to get anyone into trouble.

"Good. If they try to trouble you again, inform me and it will be handled." He informed them.

"Thank you Tanaka-sensei." Orihime politely bowed at the waist to him. He nodded.

"I shall see you tomorrow girls." Being dismissed, the girls walked out of the now empty classroom and headed for the lunch room. On their short journey there, kaiya let out a short shout of anger.

"I wish I could have kicked his ass! The big lumix! Next time I'll-"

"Kaiya..." Hanna silenced her quickly.

"Ugh!"

"Orihime, what do you think we will have at lunch?" Hanna quickly changed the subject to keep her friend from being riled up.

"Um, I don't know, but I hope it's good!" She rubbed her stomach, grinning when, as if on que, her tummy started growling. Kaiya giggled when Orihime blushed and scratched the back of her head in embarrassment.

"Someone's hungry! Come on, let's go get some grub!" Kaiya exclaimed as she grabbed a hold of Orihime and Hanna, pulling them towards the cafeteria.

XxXxXxXxX

"So, what class do you guys have now?" Orihime inquired. It had been about thirty minutes since the girls finished eating lunch, and they walked around the academy, getting a feel for the layout of the place.

"We have Hollow Identification class next." hanna answered. Orihime was a bit disappointed, and it must have shown on her face. "You?"

"Kido." Kaiya squealed.

"Really? I heard that the teacher is such a hot babe! Oh, you are so lucky!" Kaiya jumped up and down in her excitement.

"Oh..."

"How are you in such an advanced class, Orihime?" Hanna asked. Orihime blinked.

"Advanced? What do you mean?"

"Orihime, can we see your schedule?" The orangette pulled out her schedule from her uniform, between the red shitagi and her outer kosode.*

When Kaiya and Hanna read over her schedule, their eyebrows lifted and they glanced at the orangette, causing her a bit of discomfort.

"Orihime, do you think they might have gotten your schedule wrong?"

"I don't think so... do you think they might have?"

"Orihime, you're in all advanced classes!" Kaiya exclaimed.

"Advanced?"

"All of the classes you are taking are classes that fifth years would be taking!" Hanna informed her. Orihime's eyes went wide.

"R-really?" They nodded. "I think I need to talk to Ms. Saito. I can't possibly be that advanced." The last part was in a whisper.

"You should talk to her and let us know later. We'll see you at dinner." Hanna and Kaiya walked towards their class, Kaiya waving ecstatically at Orihime. Orihime smiled and watched them round the corner, her smile gone seconds later.

She found her way to June Saito's office relatively easy before hesitantly knocking.

"Come in Miss Kasumioji." June called, and Orihime walked into the office. "Good afternoon, Orihime! Have a good day so far?"

"Y-yes. I was just wondering... why am I taking such advanced classes?" She blurted.

June smiled at her. "Orihime, you have an exceptional amount of spiritual pressure, and not only that you also have excellent control over it."

"Huh?"

"When I asked you yesterday to lower your spiritual pressure, you did so easily! Our fifth years have problems with that!"

Orihime blushed.

"Miss Kasumioji, you are in those classes because you are one of the best students we have had in years."

"R-really?" She blanched. She wasn't sure how she felt about it.

"Yes! So you are supposed to be in those classes, because if we put you in the normal classes, you would most likely be bored. The only reason why you're in the History of the Soul Society is because it is a requirement for all students."

"Oh."

"And right now, you have enough power to forgo the academy to become a shinigami, but you have not gotten a zanpakuto yet, and you most likely do not know how to use Hoho, Kido, Hakudo, or Zanjutsu." She said seriously. After a silent moment, she smiled at Orihime. "So, off to class with you Miss Kasumioji. Have fun!"

Orihime was dismissed and walked out into the hall, her mind racing. She wasn't sure if she wanted to excelle like this... Sighing in defeat, she headed towards her class, knowing she was late from her visit to June's office.

when she reached the classroom, she hesitantly walked inside. Immediately, every pair of eyes were on her. A blush pervaded her face.

"Are you lost?"

The teacher, a man with dark red hair asked.

"Um, is this kido?" She asked.

"Yes."

"O-okay." She walked inside, glancing around for an empty seat.

"Excuse me, are you lost?"

She shook her head. "N-no."

"Let me see your schedule." She nodded and handed it to him.

When he looked over it, he frowned and finally his brows lifted.

"Ahh, the prodigy."

"P-prodigy?" She whispered.

"Miss Kasumioji, just have a seat anywhere." She nodded and after he handed her back her schedule, she took a seat close to the door of the classroom.

"As I was saying class, before Miss Kasumioji decided to join us, today we are going to apply what we learned last year and practice some Kido on some dummies in the outside classroom."

He walked towards the door, and everyone stood to follow him. Orihime moved to do the same, though several students bumped into her, glaring.

When everyone reached the grounds, they lined up in front of the dummies. Orihime was last in line.

"Today we will start with Hado spells. Shakkaho." Everyone in the front of the line stepped a bit closer to the dummy and spoke the incantation. Everyone pulled off a successful Shakkaho, and he nodded at them. They stepped back, and the next ones in line stepped forward.

Orihime was a bit frightened, because she didn't know the incantation or the hand movements, and there were only two more people in front of her before it was her turn. Gulping, she paid close attention to the their spells, and their hand movements, hoping that she might pull it off.

Frowning, she had one person left befor her, and and then it was her turn. She gulped.

"Next!"

She took a step forward and placed her palm out in front of her, her left hand was on her wrist. Shakily she began the incantation. "Hado: number 31 Shakkaho! Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south!" A red ball of energy flickered to life in front of her palm before growing to the size of a soccer ball and once it was released, it completely destroyed the dummy in front of her, what little pole left was charred.

The other students before her had singed the dummies, some had made small holes in theirs, and the moment the smoke cleared, everyone was looking at her again.

"Miss Kasumioji!" Came her teachers stern voice.

"Y-yes?"

"Control your spiritual pressure!"

"S-sorry." She blushed and pushed her spiritual pressure back down. While she was incanting the spell, her control must have slipped because she was so focused on performing the spell.

"And Miss Kasumioji..."

"Yes sir?"

"Good job on your hado spell." Her eyes widened at his small smile.

"T-thank you?"

The rest of the class period dragged on and they went through the spell a couple more times each, and she continued to recieve glares from the others students. It kind of hurt her feelings, and she couldn't wait until she met back up with Kaiya and Hanna. Only a few more hours. One more class period.

After class, she rushed off to her last class for the day.

Hoho. Hoho would be foot work, and almost immediately upon arriving in class, everyone was sent outside to do some exercises that would help them improve their speed. Their instructer, a woman this time, watched them like a hawk as they stretched and finally played a game of tag.

It felt a bit childish, but it was to improve their speed.

Orihime had a lot of fun in this class, as most of the students were second and third years. And since had always been naturally clumsy, no one gave her evil looks, or treated her meanly. In fact, she was paired with a boy around her age that was very friendly. After class, he walked with her to the lunchroom.

His name was Hitoshi Otsuka, with black hair and pale blue eyes. He was tall, like Ichigo, and his personality reminded her of him.

"So, Orihime-san, what squad do you wish to join?"

"I don't know..." She really didn't. There were so many options, and she knew a lot of them. Squad Ten was one of the ones she really wanted to join, since Rangiku and Hitsugaya were in it.

"Surely you've given it some thought?" He smiled at her. "I personally want to join either the eleventh or maybe the ninth."

"I might join the forth... I've always been good with healing." Well, with her Shun Shun Rikka anyway, but she didn't voice that.

Hitoshi nodded.

"I heard that the captain of that squad is amazing." Orihime smiled, having met the forth squad captain once before. "So, anyway where are you from?" She bit her lip but told him the truth.

"I'm from the Seireitei."

"Really? That's cool. I'm from the thirteenth district, east district."

"Is it really nice?" He nodded.

"It is one of the better ones."

"Orihime!" Smiling widly, Orihime turned to see her friends, Kaiya and Hanna walking towards her and Hitoshi.

"Hey guys." She greeted.

"So, who's your friend?" Kaiya asked, eyebrow wiggling in delight.

"Right! This is Hitoshi Otsuka. Hitoshi, this is Kaiya Minami and Hanna Umari." She said, pointing at each girl in turn. He shook their hands and grinned.

"Good evening ladies. I hope you don't mind if I join you three for dinner?"

"That would be fine." Hanna informed him, a small smile on her face. With a large smile, all four of them headed towards the cafeteria together. Time seemed to fly by, and before she knew it, they were parting ways, Hitoshi headed for the fourth year dorms, and Orihime, Kaiya and Hanna walked to the first year dorms. Hitoshi was shocked to find out that Orihime was only a first year and already in advanced classes, but he didn't act resentful towards her and she knew they would be good friends. When the girls got off on their floor, Orihime let out a sigh the moment the elevator doors closed and was headed up to the top floor.

She was exhausted, her feet hurt and she was sleepy. When the elevator pinged and let her out on her floor, Orihime smiled.

Today had been great. There had been times where she wished she would have been a normal human when she was alive, but then she wouldn't have had such great adventures and she wouldn't have the friends that she did.

Hopefully tomorrow would be just as great. Maybe even wonderful.

* * *

***The academy uniforms, the red shitagi is the under shirt, and the kosode is the shirt that is part of the academy uniform, though similar to shinigami uniforms, they are different colors, red for females and blue for males. They also wear hakama, which are the trousers and white socks and sandals. They also have circular symbols on both sides of the front of the kosode. **

**A/N: what do you guys think on Kaiya, Hanna and Hitoshi? Should they be more incorperated into the story, or not? Also, the next chapter will have a bit of a surprise for everyone! **

**Special thanks to Mailumia, Nypsy, SasuNarulover49, and Geminigirl016 for reviewing the last chapter as well as all those who took the time to review other chapters, and favorite and alert my story! :) **

** Any feedback is welcome and much appreciated. :)**


	6. The Search

**A/N: I decided to switch it up a bit for this chapter. It's been all about Orihime and her moving on, so I decided to bring more depth into the story. It is also so tie up some loose ends as well. ****I know it is a bit shorter than I've normally posted, and I apologize for it. **

**Also, Nypsy please don't hate me for the IchiRuki in this chapter... I send you a message to warn you, and I don't know if you recieved it in time. **

**Onto the next chapter. :) **

**I do not own Bleach. **

* * *

The End is Only the Beginning

By: KawaiPanda

Chapter Six: The Search

**Two or so weeks ago... **  
**Twelfth Division**

"Shit!"

Something was wrong. She had left her post for five minutes to get another cup of coffee and an alarm went off. It wasn't a large one, only a flashing light to signify something had gone on in the short time she had left her post. With a frown, she set down the coffee and began going through footage. If something was about to go down, she needed to find it immediately and alert the Central Forty-Six.

When she was bringing the feed on the screen, someone called her name, and when she turned to answer them, she knocked the coffee onto the control pannel.

"Oh my God." Her friend rushed over, trying to help her contain the mess and she happened to glance up to see a blur of orange before the screen went blank.

XxXxXxXxX

**Karakura Town - Present**

_SMACK!_

_The sound of Tatsuki's hand striking Rukia's face echoed so loudly, that it seemed to go on forever._

_"I hate you. She died and her last days were filled with sadness because you came into our lives. I don't want to see either of you again." She said evenly, looking them both in the eyes before walking away._

_Sometime during the rant, the others, Uryu, Chad, Keigo, and Mizuiri had showed up, witnessing how much Tatsuki didn't know. And she didn't care either. All she knew was that she didn't even get to say good-bye to Orihime._

It had been a long two weeks since Orihime's death.

For Ichigo, those two weeks had been a long time. The moment he found out about her death, he wanted to rush to the soul society to find Orihime. Guilt had caused him restless nights full of nightmares with her as the star, her death the main event, him helpless to prevent it.

Rukia was no help. She enlisted the help of Urahara to keep him from going after Orihime, and their relationship suffered because of it. She still stayed in the Kurosaki residence, but not in his room anymore. Every time he looked at her, he wanted to yell at her, force her into letting him go. Who was she to control him?

But he did see their reasoning... After all, exams were upon them, and he couldn't disappear again because there was no making it up. So, he had to wait until after exams to find her. To apologize... Thankfully the exams were tomorrow, and then he would be free. That is if his dad and Rukia didn't force him to go to graduation...

In the past two weeks, none of their friends talked to him anymore. The only one who did was Rukia, and when they talked it was abrupt.

The funeral was only a few days after her death, and because her family didn't have much money to afford a funeral, the school decided to pay for it. After all, she was one of their brightest students, and it saddened all of the administration.

_It was raining, just like it had on that day. The day of her death. _

_School was out for the day because of the funeral, which was going to be held at eleven in the afternoon. And that morning, the entire kurosiaki household was somber, including his little sisters. His father knew well enough to leave Ichigo alone as well on this day. Ichigo was in a bad mood. _

_He had another of the dreams last night and it showed from the bags under his eyes. _

_"Morning Ichi-nii." Yuzu greeted the boy from her position in front of the stove as he came down for breakfast. Like him, she was wearing black, only she wore a yukata that slowed the curves that were beginning to show that she was becoming a woman. After all, she was fourteen now. Her hair was in its now customary look, two pigtails. _

_The floral apron she wore was a stark contrast to the black outfit she donned. _

_"Morning Yuzu. Karin." He nodded at them in turn, eyes falling on his other sister. She wore an outfit similar to his, as she hated wearing skirts, and her hair was in a singluar ponytail. Because it was only the three in the kitchen, he assumed Rukia was still asleep from last night. They had gotten rid of five hollows and were out until early in the morning. _

_Their father... well, he didn't really care where his old man was. _

_They ate their meal in peace and when there was only an hour left before the funeral, he checked on Rukia and Isshin to make sure they were getting ready. _

_Isshin was in the bathroom when he walked upstairs, and when he walked into his room, his eyes fell onto his girlfriend. She was sitting on his bed, wearing a yukata like Yuzu, and was doing her hair. She looked up when he walked in, eyes dark. _

_"Ichigo..." She stood, reaching out to him, and when he didn't slap her hand away, she moved closer to him. He hesitantly embraced her back. "I'm sorry." _

_"I know. I am too." When they were about to kiss, Yuzu's voice called them from downstairs. _

_"Ichi-nii! Rukia! It's time to go." Taking her hand, he led her downstairs, where everyone stood. his father had dressed in a black suit, and looked very somber. _

The funeral had been beautiful. Almost everyone from the school turned out for the funeral. There were flowers everywhere, and many of her friends spoke about her. Ichigo had even commented on what a wonderful person she was.

It was a closed casket... the damage to her body too brutal for people to see.

Tatsuki had refused to look in his direction the entire time they were there. It saddened him, because he knew, as well as everyone else, that she was leaving the day after the funeral. She had been allowed to take her finals early and she was heading off to China where she would throw herself into martial arts.

Everyone else was just going to go on with their lives because they knew what the souls society was like and knew she was safe. But Ichigo... well, he was still distressed over her death and though he was going to go to the soul society to train and become an official soul reaper he needed to know she was okay.

Ever since the day Tatsuki had yelled at them, abruptly informing them of Orihime's death, he'd had a revelation. He put two and two together and got four.

Orihime had loved him and yet she still supported his and Rukia's relationship.

And for that, he felt guilty because he never knew and he needed her forgiveness. It was the only way he would be able to move on with his life.

XxXxXxXxX

**Twelfth Division**

**Captain Kurotsuchi's Office**

"Excuse me? You did what?" Mayuri's voice was laced with venom. He had been sitting behind his desk, doing some paperwork when Nemu shoved an unseated officer into his office and forced her to inform him of a situation going on that no one decided to tell him.

"I-I spilled some c-coffee on the control pannel, C-captain."

"And you're telling me this now?"

"Y-y-yes."

"You stupid little whore." He stood up abruptly. "I ought to kill you."

"C-c-captain?"

"Get out of my sight before I end your meaningless existence." She nodded hastily. "And you better make sure everything is running properly." There was no need to speak the 'or else.' It was implied.

"Yes captain!" She dashed out of his office nearly pissing herself in fright.

* * *

**A/N: With Ichigo's perspective, I wanted to show what was going on in the land of the living while Orihime has been moving on with her life in the Soul society. And I wanted to give some depth to Ichigo. While he is sad by the fact that she died, he is riddled with guilt for not only saving her from death but upon learning she loved him he knew it must have hurt her to see him and Rukia together. And though he is guilty, he still needs to know she forgives him for the pain he had caused her, and in that way he is a bit selfish.**

**Also, the parts about the twelfth division... as my oh so obsessed husband pointed out to me, the twelfth division keeps a record of the living world and things that occur there, such as hollow attacks and who uses the senkaimon, etc. So they would have known the moment that Orihime died and ****Zennosuke Kurumadani** using a senkaimon to take her to the afterlife rather than sending her via **Konsō, the tapping on the forehead thing. And because I didn't want the Soul society to know about her death immediately, I had a misshap occur in the recording room, lol. Also, Rukia hasn't been back there yet, so she hasn't been able to tell them either. **

******Sorry for the long A/N. :) **

**Special thanks to Mailumia, Nypsy, KurosakiCrystal18, SasuNarulover49 and Geminigirl016 for reviewing the last chapter as well as all those who took the time to review other chapters, and favorite and alert my story! :) **

** Any feedback is welcome and much appreciated. :)**


	7. Cat and Mouse

**A/N: So, my faithful readers, I have posted a poll on my profile page. I'm still having a hard time deciding who Orihime should end up with, so I need your help to narrow it down for me. :) I'd be really grateful! **

**Also, I want to thank my Beta Reader, Simplistic Nostalgia. She is absolutely amazing! I've been able to bounce a lot of ideas off of her, and I'm so grateful to have her help! **

**Now, we're back to Orihime so onto ****the next chapter. :) **

**I do not own Bleach. **

* * *

The End is Only the Beginning

By: KawaiPanda

Chapter Seven: Cat and Mouse

_Today had been great. There had been times where she wished she would have been a normal human when she was alive, but then she wouldn't have had such great adventures, and she wouldn't have had the friends that she did._

_Hopefully, tomorrow would be just as great. Maybe even wonderful._

It was morning of the second day at the academy. And like yesterday, Orihime was a bit late in waking up. She had no classes until ten, giving her about forty minutes to get dressed and eat some food. Thankfully, she took a shower last night before she fell asleep, though she was beginning to think she might need to invest in an alarm clock so she wouldn't oversleep.

When she was fully dressed and her hair was brushed back in a neat ponytail, she saw that she still had a good thirty minutes, and smiled. She would be able to actually taste her food!

Skipping happily, and even whistling a tune, Orihime made her way to the elevator. It stopped on the way down once, and the boy from yesterday got on, staring at her. Immediately, she stopped whistling, blushing in embarrassment.

"G-good morning," she greeted.

He merely grunted in reply, causing her to frown.

The rest of the ride down to the first floor was silent, and the moment the doors opened, he hastily departed as if hell hounds were on his heels. Tears sprang from her eyes, and she wondered briefly if she did something wrong... had she offended him? But that couldn't possible have been it because all she did was greet him politely.

Shaking her head, she dried her tears and stepped off of the elevator. Kaiya and Hanna would only get to meet her for lunch because they were already in class, and she didn't know where Hitoshi was, so she would have to eat alone this morning. Sighing, Orihime walked to the cafeteria, filled a plate full of various foods, and sat dejectedly in a corner table.

'Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Orihime.' She nearly slapped herself to snap out of it, but she knew it would bring some unneeded attention to herself, and it would only end in embarrassment for her.

"Orihime!"

She glanced up from her plate to see Hitoshi calling her from across the cafeteria.

"Hitoshi!" She waved. He made his way towards her, carefully balancing his plate of food as he crossed the room, bobbing and weaving through the crowd of students. He smiled brightly as he sat his tray down on the table across from her.

"Morning, Hime-chan. Sleep well?" he asked, digging into his food.

"I did, thank you. Did you?" She started eating again with renewed vigor. Her appetite had returned.

"Yep!" He was already halfway done with his plate! "So, what classes do you have today?"

"I have Laws of the Soul Society before lunch and then Hakuda and Zanjutsu after."

His eyes brightened. "Awesome! We have both of those classes together!"

XxXxXxXxX

**Meanwhile in the Rukongai**  
**With Ichigo and Rukia**

"Well?" he demanded, voice harsh. The man cowered under Ichigo's steadily increasing spiritual pressure. "Answer the question!"

"Ichigo..." Her soft voice fell on deaf ears. The orange haired substitute continued to interrogate random citizens of the Rukon District.

She shook her head at him, feeling her anger build.

XxXxXxXxX

Laws of the Soul Society went by fairly quickly, and Orihime was glad to be free from it. She was openly receiving glares from her fellow students, and it unnerved her. Eagerly, she made her way to the cafeteria because that's where Hitoshi, Hanna and Kaiya would be. When she was almost halfway there, a group of students blocked her from getting any further.

"Um, excuse me? May I pass through?" she asked politely.

This caused some snickers, and one girl stepped closer to her, looking her over. "Tch. You don't look anything special. What did you do to get in? Fuck some of the teachers?"

"W-what?" She was taken aback, not only by her crude language but by the suggestion as well!

"W-what?" The girl mocked her, and the students laughed.

Orihime blushed and looked at her feet.

"Your such a wimp. You'll never amount to anything without using your body."

Orihime felt tears beginning to sting her eyes. The last time she had been harassed like this was when she was alive, and Tatsuki saved her from the bullies... She didn't know if she was upset about being bullied or from missing the girl who had become her best friend.

"That's right, cry little girl."

Orihime turned and ran. She ran all the way back to her dorm, and once she was in the safety of her room, she began to cry freely, tears streaking down her face as she her breathing hitched haphazardly. After a good ten minutes of weeping, she fell asleep on her bed.

It wasn't much later when there was a knock on her door.

"Orihime! Orihime, open up!"

Groggily, she rose from her bed. When she opened the door, she was greeted to the concerned faces of Kaiya and Hanna.

"Hime?"

"Are you okay? You missed lunch," Hanna asked as the two girls walked into her room.

"Y-yes," she replied, looking down at her feet.

"No you're not. You've been crying Orihime," Kaiya stated, setting something down on her desk. From the tell tale scent, it was food.

"I'm fine..."

"Orihime."

"I... I don't want to talk about it."

"Ori-"

"Alright," Hanna interrupted.

"But-" Hanna lifted a hand.

"We'll drop it for now, but it's only because we have class in a few minutes. Do not think that this is over. You will tell us what happened, understood?"

Orihime nodded.

"Bring the food. You will regret it if you don't eat soon."

Orihime grabbed the takeout box and followed the girls out of her room.

"How did you guys find my room anyway?"

"It was simple: we knocked on all of the doors until we found yours!"

Orihime giggled at that, feeling a bit better. After the short elevator ride to the bottom floor, Orihime was snatched into a bear hug by Hitoshi.

"Hime! Are you okay? Are you hurt? Who needs to be killed?" he demanded, looking her over.

She smiled at his antics. "I'm fine Hitoshi."

"Really? Are you sure?"

She nodded, and he set her down, though his arm never left her shoulder.

"Come on. We'll be late if we keep standing here," Hanna broke in.

Everyone nodded in agreement and started walking. Orihime blushed when his arm stayed wrapped around her shoulder but didn't want to be rude and step out of his protective grip.

XxXxXxXxX

**Rukon Districts**  
**Ichigo and Rukia**

"Damn it! Where could she be?" Ichigo yelled in frustration, kicking at a shabby building. The moment his foot struck, it wobbled, almost toppling over.

"Ichigo! Be careful!" Rukia scolded, stepping in front of him and put her hands on his heaving chest because it was obviously going to be the only way to get him away from the make shift home. People lived in there and here he was about to destroy their shelter. "Cool it you idiot."

"... Sorry," he apologized after a moment.

XxXxXxXxX

Their classes were in the practice areas that were used for Hakuda and Zanjutsu. They were classrooms but empty of desks; they were very spacious, reminding Orihime of gym class. There were even bleachers in the rear of the classroom where students were seated in small clusters of their cliques.

Hitoshi led her to a small group on the outer edge of the bleachers.

"Oi! Hitoshi, who's the babe with you?" one of the guys asked. He stood and stepped down onto the hardwood floor, grasping Orihime's hand in his, his lips brushing her skin. "M'lady, Ren at your service. And you would be?"

"Ori-Orihime."

"Ah! A real lady." He smirked.

"N-not really."

"It's nice to meet you Orihime, I'm Sen, that idiot's sister." She had green hair, like him. "This is Aimi and that's Masuke." She said, pointing to the blue haired girl with glasses and then the boy with white hair.

"Hi," she greeted, waving once Hitoshi freed her hand from Ren's. They waved back politely.

"What year are you?" Aimi asked.

"... First," Orihime answered hesitantly.

"First? You're that prodigy everyone has been talking about!" Ren exclaimed.

She blushed and pulled at her sleeves. Suddenly everyone went quiet as a middle-aged woman walked inside. She had her thick hair pulled back into a severe bun, her age apparent from her salt and pepper colored hair.

"Alright, listen up maggots! I am Yumi Ariwa, your instructor in both Hakudo and Zanjutsu, so for the next four hours, your asses are mine!" She stood in the middle of the room. "Now line up!"

Once everyone stood in the center of the room, the teacher walked down the line until she came upon Orihime. Orihime gulped when she saw the smirk on the older woman's face.

"Ah, you must be the new student I've been hearing so much about. Let's see how you fair in a spar, Miss Kasumioji. Mr. Eguchi!" A boy down the line stepped out, bowing toward the woman, his dark hair falling over his shoulders.

"Yes!" He walked towards Orihime, determination on his face.

"Miss Kasumioji, you may wish to prepare yourself."

At that, the students scattered, leaving Orihime by herself in the center of the room, the boy circling around her, already in fighting stance.

"Kya!" He attacked.

* * *

**A/N: So, what do you guys think? ****She's being picked on an aweful lot, but she won't become a stronger person without it. After all, she needs to learn how to defend herself. **

**Special thanks to MoonlightRuroni, Mailumia, Nypsy, KurosakiCrystal18, and Simplistic Nostalgia for reviewing the last chapter as well as all those who took the time to review other chapters, and favorite and alert my story! :) **

**Any feedback is welcome and much appreciated. :)**


	8. Inner Strength

**A/N: Sorry guys, but this one is gunna be short. I haven't been motivated at all lately. But I'll make it up to you guys... eventually. **

**Also, I want to thank my Beta Reader, Simplistic Nostalgia. She is absolutely amazing! I've been able to bounce a lot of ideas off of her, and I'm so grateful to have her help! I hope she decides to stick with me until the very end of the entire series! that's right folks! I'm making more stories but they're going to be about other people in the same AU. **

**Now, we're back to Orihime so onto ****the next chapter. :) **

**I do not own Bleach. **

* * *

The End is Only the Beginning

By: KawaiPanda

Chapter Eight: Inner Strength

_"Miss Kasumioji, you may wish to prepare yourself." At that, the students scattered, leaving Orihime by herself in the center of the room, the boy circling around her, already in fighting stance._

_"Kya!" And with that, he attacked._

Orihime was already slipping into a defensive position when he rushed towards her, her instincts kicking in. While she might not have been the strongest person around, Tatsuki made damned sure Orihime was able to protect herself. And it was kind of like a second nature for her. Despite her being rusty from not practicing much, she was capable of defending herself. And when he threw the first punch, it did so in slow motion to her. She moved her head out of the way, his elbow centimeters from her cheek.

It was when he paused momentarily to register the shock of missing his target that she shifted from defense to offense; as he pulled his arm back to his torso, she executed a roundhouse kick, the hit landing just before the socket of his shoulder. The sickening sound of it dislocating was her reward. When he dropped to his knee, clutching at his injury, she snapped out of her trance-like state. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" She fell to her knees before him, grimacing at the damage she had just done to his shoulder. She gingerly reached out to touch his bicep. "Really, I didn't mean to-"

"Miss Kasumioji, you've done enough," the teacher snapped.

Orihime jerked as if the woman had slapped her, watching mutely as two students rushed forward, assisting the boy, and leading him to the infirmary.

Without a word, she got to her feet and headed over to where Hitoshi and his friends stood.

"Wow Hime! That was amazing! I can't believe you took out the teachers pet in one kick!" Orihime blushed, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"I didn't actually mean to hurt him like that." However, Hitoshi kept on and on about it, causing her to want to escape his presence.

XxXxXxXxX

**Twelfth Division**  
**Captain Kurotsuchi's Office**

"Captain!" The young woman from yesterday was in his office, kneeling to Mayuri. He frowned upon recognizing her.

"You... What do you want?" The young woman gulped at his harsh voice, grateful to still be alive.

"The problem has been fixed... but captain?" She hesitated.

"What? Spit it out already!" He demanded. If she had screwed up one more time...

"There's a problem, Sir."

XxXxXxXxX

**Rukon Districts  
****With Ichigo and Rukia**

After the incident earlier, Ichigo had calmed down by threat of his girlfriend kicking his ass but after a few hours, and they started for the seireitei for the night, he was getting more and more desperate.

"Damnit! Where is she?" At his raising voice, Rukia glanced over to Ichigo. He had a man up by his shirt, yelling at him! And he looked like a nobleman!

"Ichigo..." Her tone was a warning, and gripping her zanpakuto helped. He dropped him. "I'm sorry sir for this imbicile. We're looking for someone." She helped him up, glaring at the orange haired shinigami.

"I know he's at least seen her. He made a comment on my hair saying it reminded him of another who came here not too long ago."

"You've seen her?" Rukia asked.

"H-Hai. She had orange hair and a large bust..." At Ichigo's eyebrow twitch, the man turned red and continued. "She was also wearing a school uniform."

"That's her! It has to be! She died in her uniform..."

XxXxXxXxX

**Twelfth Division**  
**Captain Kurotsuchi's Office**

The man in paint, sitting behind his desk, was strumming his fingers on the surface of the desk which was filled with paperwork. "So. You're telling me that someone had unautorized use of an Senkaimon and we're just now finding out."

"H-hai."

"Do you at least know who did it?"

"W-we're still working on it." His fingers halted their movement and the girl ran from his office before he could decided to kill her.

XxXxXxXxX

The rest of the class period seemed to drag on. The instructor left Orihime well enough alone, but she still felt as if she should have let the guy hit her.

Maybe then, she wouldn't be getting those stares from her fellow students. Stares of awe, jealousy, rage... among other things.

And when it came time for Zanjutsu, Orihime once again showed them that she was more than just what she appeared to be. Ever since the incident, she withdrew into herself. She'd wanted to show them she was normal and wouldn't use her previous connections to excel. But now, she wanted nothing more to get out of here. She decided enough of holding back. She wasn't going to inform them of who she really was, but she wouldn't pretend to be weaker than she really was. After all, the pyhsical wasn't really different from the academic, was it? And she excelled at that in the human world... She was now using what she'd been taught fighting wise, and she could excelle at that too.

After class, Hitoshi led her to the cafeteria for dinner, and she blushed under the stares of her fellow students.

"Orihime!"

"Kaiya, Hanna." She greeted.

Kaiya threw herself at Orihime, embracing her tightly. Hanna sighed and nodded at her.

"Oh my GOD! You will never guess what's happening!" Kaiya exclaimed.

"What's going to happen?" Orihime asked.

"Well -"

"A captain or vice captain is coming by the school to check a certain student out." Hanna interrupted.

"Who's the student?"

"You!" Kaiya giggled happily at the look on Orihime's face. It was one of shock and hints of terror maybe?

She still didn't know how she was going to tell her shinigami friends... and she didn't want them to use their influence to get her out early, but then if things kept escalating, she might have to take their assistance. After all, it wouldn't due to fight all of the time. And teachers try to make examples of her. She liked being here, learning, but unless people could accept the fact that she was a bit... different, she wouldn't be able to stay.

"Oh."

"Oh? How can you just say, oh?" Kaiya demanded, her hands on her hips.

As Orihime opened her mouth to reply, and maybe inform them of her past, somewhat, Hanna spoke. "Let's get something to eat."

That thankfully changed the subject.

XxXxXxXxX

**Rukon Districts**  
**Ichigo and Rukia**

"So, someone paid for her meal?" Rukia asked, smiling politely.

The waiter nodded. And she pursed her lips, thinking.

"And you really can't tell us who it was?"

He shook his head. "No, I can't. Against policy."

"Thank you." Rukia smiled and waved as she left the resturaunt.

"Well?" Ichigo demanded upon seeing her exit the fancy place. Rukia wouldn't let him in due to his behavior so he was leaning against the wall, waiting for her return.

"She was here alright. But someone paid for her meal, meaning, it was a noble who wanted to either marry Orihime or adopt her into their family, and we'll have to find them in order to find her."

* * *

**A/N: So, what do you guys think? **

**Special thanks to Moodymel, Nypsy, KurosakiCrystal18, and Simplistic Nostalgia for reviewing the last chapter as well as all those who took the time to review other chapters, and favorite and alert my story! :) **

** Any feedback is welcome and much appreciated. :)**


End file.
